Preferred Citation note

Biographical/Historical note

Born into a pioneer family in 1895, newspaper man and historical buff Jay J. Kalez has been an ardent student of Spokane history since his youth. He served in the Navy in World War I, graduated from the University of Washington, and later began a career as a newspaperman and freelance writer of mystery, detective, and adventure stories. During the Great Depression Kalez was personnel director for the Spokane district of the Works Progress Administration. In addition, his work required that he become deeply involved with the District Federal Historical records and the Writers and Newspapers Indexing projects. He was also connected with several historical projects sponsored by Washington State University during this period. Familiarity with these historical projects of the Depression years added another dimension to Kalez's dual roles as civil servant and writer. For a time he served on the editorial staff of the Spokesman-Review and the Spokane Daily Chronicle. In 1965 Jay J. Kalez retired from U.S. Corps of Engineers. However, he continued freelance writing and has written many feature stories retelling the unique history of Spokane and eastern Washington from the viewpoint of a native resident.

Scope and Contents note

The Jay J. Kalez papers consist of typescript drafts of Kalez's Saga of a Western Town...Spokane (1972), This Town of Ours. . . Spokane (1973), and Harnessed Waters (1976). In addition, there are some research notes, clippings, and correspondence. Many of the chapters which comprise the above works originally appeared over several years as feature articles in Spokane newspapers.

Arrangement note

The papers are arranged in four series. Each folder in series 1, 2, and 4 corresponds to a chapter in the Kalez works cited above. The author's original arrangement has been retained, each folder contains a typescript draft of his story about some personal experience or incident in Spokane history. A newspaper clipping, notes, and correspondence pertinent to each story (a chapter in one of his books) are also contained in each folder. Series 3 contains typescript drafts of speeches and informal talks.

Series 3: Speeches and informal talks

Series 4:
Harnessed waters: legend of the mighty Columbia, river of the setting sun. A chronological anthology of the mighty Columbia from the days of Lewis and Clark's expedition into the western wilderness to the ever advancing program of the federal government for the full development of the resources of the Columbia and its tributaries, by Jay J. Kalez. Spokane, Lawton Printing, Inc., [1976] First printing.

Box-folder

Box-folder

Drafts, clippings, notes, correspondence and other sources pertaining to the articles used by Kalez in compilation of Harnessed Waters.

3 / 1-23

4 / 24-32

Box-folder

Additional notes, anecdotes and other materials used in Harnessed Waters.